"To what extent can the full power of a god reach?", He asked.
"Well, this~", Goddess Hephaestus chuckled lightly, "For someone like me, using an entire small world as a furnace to forge divine artifacts is still something I can do."
———
[Orario, Farmland Outside the City]
The vast area outside these city walls, according to the Guild's laws, no longer belongs to the Labyrinth City territory. However, in practice, it is still under Orario's management.
And the endless farmland, orchards, and ranches outside the city are mostly assets of the Demeter Familia.
In terms of land area, the Demeter Familia surpasses the total of all other familias in the Labyrinth City. In fact, the total land managed by the Demeter Familia has already exceeded the urban area of Orario.
Even beyond the fields near the city, the Demeter Familia owns numerous farms in the surrounding nations of Orario. Only with such an extensive reach can they supply more than half of the food consumed in the Labyrinth City.
A farm located directly south of the city, this was where the carriage driven by [Omnipotent One] Asfi stopped.
"Astraea, are you not planning to stay in Orario anymore?", The Demeter Goddess, who came to bid farewell, spoke with reluctance.
This was a goddess whose beauty was no less than Astraea's. She had soft, honey-colored wavy long hair, and her eyes always carried an undeniable warmth and gentleness.
The most striking feature about her, however, was her exceptionally voluptuous figure, which even among the many goddesses stood out. So much so that even the beauty goddesses could not compare, especially her overwhelmingly large bust. Standing beside her, Ryuu formed a stark contrast.
Ryuu, however, did not even feel jealousy. She was completely overwhelmed by the absolute motherly aura of Goddess Demeter. All she could think was that this was truly fitting for the "Goddess of Fertility."
On the other side, Astraea, both a friend and the head goddess of a familia, smiled easily and said: "Ryuu has found her place. I can be at ease now. At this moment, the children over there need me more."
After leaving Orario, Astraea had been living in the City of Swordsmiths. During this time, she had experienced many things, and now, many children had joined her, forming a new Astraea Familia.
Ryuu grasped Astraea's hand tightly, reluctant to part, but could not bring herself to voice a selfish request, "You know, Ryuu, Orario is not suitable for a newly established Astraea Familia right now."
Astraea said: "Likewise, Ryuu, you have grown."
"…Yes, Astraea-sama," Ryuu's voice choked slightly.
"No need to be so sad, Ryuu. Separation is only temporary. Once those children have grown strong enough to stand on their own, I will return!", Astraea patted Ryuu's head.
At the same time, the goddess thought to herself: 'Well~ After all, I still owe Hephaestus and Shirou-kun 1.2 billion valis. It looks like I'll need to work for 200 to 300 years to pay it off.'
'I need to find a way to expand my familia a little… Sigh, I'm even considering just handing Ryuu-chan over to Shirou-kun at this point. Ryuu-chan herself is probably willing too…'
The Goddess of Justice was thinking very unjust thoughts.
"Astraea-sama, I will write to you!", Ryuu called out.
Astraea smiled: "Yes, Ryuu, take care of yourself. Also, Demeter, I entrust Ryuu to you."
"Leave it to me, Ryuu-chan~", Demeter hugged Ryuu from behind, and the unexpected soft embrace caused the elf girl's face to turn red.
This arrangement was the result of Astraea's negotiations with the Guild.
Originally, the Guild was unwilling to completely lift the bounty on [Gale] Ryuu, considering the sheer number of people she had slain. The Guild was already pushing its limits by overlooking the matter instead of openly pursuing her. Completely removing the bounty would be like slapping their own face.
However, Astraea proposed a deal that greatly intrigued the Guild: ("Lift Ryuu's bounty in exchange for her taking on a two-year-long mission—to protect Goddess Demeter.")
As the agricultural pillar of Orario, the Demeter Familia was arguably the most important familia in the city. If their food supply were to be compromised, the entire city would be plunged into disaster.
Thus, Demeter was a prime target for Orario's enemies. Since the Demeter Familia lacked high-level adventurers, her protection had previously been handled by the Ganesha Familia.
For the Guild and the Ganesha Familia, Ryuu's unique situation presented an unexpected opportunity.
Orario's first-tier adventurers were already fully occupied with their own responsibilities. Suddenly having an Lv.5 adventurer with nothing to do (who was even working as a waiter) was an opportunity the Guild could not ignore.
On top of that, the Demeter Familia had properties all over the city, including near The Hostess of Fertility.
With the goddess herself willing to live in the flower shop beside the tavern, the arrangement was perfect.
Thus, Ryuu would guard Demeter, and since she 'loved cutting down people' (misunderstanding), she could simply cut down every villain who approached Demeter.
Regarding Demeter's safety (agricultural security), the Guild was dead serious. For this reason, they cast aside their pride and lifted Ryuu's bounty without hesitation.
Thus, the 1 Ryuu = 80 million valis calculation officially became history.
For now, Ryuu had transferred to the Demeter Familia for the sake of updating her status, but she had not formally joined the group. She remained the captain of the Astraea Familia.
Once the two-year period ended and Astraea's familia returned to Orario, Ryuu would rejoin them.
"Farewell, Ryuu!", From the carriage, Astraea waved to the elf girl.
"Demeter, please bless Ryuu and Shirou-kun~"
"G-Goddess-sama, what are you saying…?", Ryuu froze for a moment before becoming completely flustered.
Demeter was the goddess of harvest, but in her divine authority, harvest extended beyond agriculture—to childbearing.
Realizing this, Ryuu instinctively crossed her arms over her chest, her face turning bright red.
"Oh my, you're blushing~", Demeter pinched Ryuu's cheek from behind.
Seeing the elf girl's adorable reaction, the Goddess of the Earth chuckled mischievously: "Of course, I will bless you both. Even though I cannot use divine power in the lower world, my divine authority still exists. Ryuu-chan, my blessing is quite effective, you know~"
"Guh—Demeter-sama, p-please don't tease me…"
After a moment, Ryuu hesitantly asked: "…Is it really effective?"
———
"Today, don't train or forge anything. Go home and rest well, adjust your mental state."
"Even if the battles weren't intense, Shirou, you've accumulated quite a bit of pressure during this time. And forging weapons before was also exhausting. Don't work for the next few days, just relax as much as you want."
The goddess Hephaestus said words that an ordinary boss or leader would never say and sent Emiya home (to the Hostess of Fertility tavern).
Although Emiya was used to a high-intensity schedule and felt that he didn't need much rest, he still obediently followed the goddess's instructions.
As the goddess had pointed out, even if his body wasn't particularly tired, he had built up considerable mental pressure. In reality, for more than a month, he had been maintaining an extremely intense pace of life.
Even the goddess now felt that he should slow down a little, even if only for a few days.
Emiya obediently returned to the Hostess of Fertility, planning to get a good sleep first. However, today, the tavern seemed a little different.
"Shirou-kun, is that you?"
At the back entrance of the tavern, he encountered an unexpected lady.
Her exquisite appearance far surpassed ordinary people, her presence was grand and majestic, the divine aura surging like waves, as obvious as a lighthouse in the night, impossible to ignore.
His vision was instantly drawn in by the law of universal gravitation, and only with the aid of his willpower did he barely manage to look away. Emiya asked, "This goddess, may I ask who you are?"
"I am Demeter~", The goddess gently played with her honey-colored silky hair, answering with a soft voice.
Emiya: "So you are the goddess Demeter… It's an honor to meet you."
Demeter tilted her head slightly: "Shirou, have you heard of me before?"
She naturally started calling Emiya by his name, and the person in question didn't find this intimate way of addressing him strange at all. Demeter's overwhelming motherly warmth made everything she did feel absolutely affectionate and impossible to resist.
"Of course, I often hear Mia-san mention the name of Goddess Demeter… You are one of the few goddesses Mia-san truly respects," Emiya said.
Mia was never particularly deferential toward the gods of Orario. Even the goddess Freya didn't get much face from her. Demeter, however, was one of the few exceptions.
One reason was probably that Demeter's pure kindness, warmth, and gentle nature naturally countered Mia's "tsundere" personality, making it hard for her to respond. The other reason was necessity—after all, the high-quality ingredients required by the Hostess of Fertility all came from Demeter's Familia.
Emiya: "Getting Mia-san to ask a god for something isn't an easy feat. I suppose only Goddess Demeter could manage that."
"Is that so? Then I'm truly honored~", Demeter chuckled softly.
"Shirou."
"Hmm?"
Emiya was momentarily startled, and before he could react, he was enveloped in an overwhelming softness.
"D-De-Demeter-sama?!", Ryuu, who was also in the courtyard, shouted in shock.
As for Emiya, his thoughts momentarily stopped functioning.
"How adorable~", Demeter's hand affectionately brushed through Emiya's red hair.
"Don't worry, Ryuu, this is a blessing."
"Are… are you alright, Master?", A fox-eared girl supported Emiya as they ascended the stairs.
"…I'm fine," Emiya instinctively replied.
He had never expected that a goddess with no combat capabilities whatsoever could have such an astonishing level of suppression. Within the goddess's seal, he had been completely unable to move for a moment.
"Haru," Emiya looked at the girl leaning against him.
Because of her soft and gentle personality, her usual demeanor was always timid and reserved, giving people the impression of a little girl.
But in reality, Haruhime had a very mature, curvy figure. In terms of her body alone, she was completely in the category of a seductive beauty.
This contrast between her outward appearance and inner personality was part of what made the fox girl uniquely charming.
"Are you doing well here?", Emiya asked.
"Yes, Master. The sisters at the tavern are all very kind, and they take good care of me. Mama Mia is also very nice to me," Haru answered in a very small voice, her tone natural and calm.
It didn't seem very different from how she spoke back in the Ishtar Familia, but Emiya could sense the key difference—stability.
"You've made up your mind not to go back?", Emiya asked.
The members of the Takemikazuchi Familia had hoped for Haruhime to return to the Far East. Although she could no longer return to the Sanjo family and live the luxurious life she once had, she could at least reside in the shrine supported by the Takemikazuchi Familia.
Orario was a world of adventurers, but Haruhime wasn't suited to be one. Here, there was always the risk of someone targeting her again. If she returned to the shrine in the Far East, life would be simpler and poorer, but at least she would be safe. And ultimately, that was her homeland.
Takemikazuchi himself had no strong opinion on the matter, leaving it up to her, and Haruhime had declined the offer.
"I belong to Master. Wherever Master is, that is my home," Haru whispered in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz.
"You can just call me by my name," Emiya said.
But Haruhime surprisingly insisted, "No, Master is Master."
She firmly maintained this unique form of address.
"…Alright then."
To be honest, when she first started calling him 'Master,' Emiya had felt quite uncomfortable. However, the power of habit was terrifying. Before he knew it, he had gradually gotten used to the title.
"By the way, Haruhime, aren't you supposed to wear the uniform here?", Emiya asked.
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